


What is Seen and What is- Merle Sees

by TWDObsessive



Series: What Is Seen and What Is. [7]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: And the Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Family, Feels, Fluff, Ghost Drifting, Ghosts, Idiots in Love, Kissing, Love, M/M, Merle as a ghost, POV First Person, POV Merle, Waking Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2016-11-09
Packaged: 2018-08-29 23:12:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8509255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TWDObsessive/pseuds/TWDObsessive
Summary: Merle observes Rick and Daryl as an earthbound ghost still waiting to earn his way into heaven.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the "What is Seen and What is" series but can be read as a one-shot. Because I have it in this series and wanted to keep to the timeline, they are in Alexandria so Merle's observations had to take place as he was a ghost waiting to earn his way into heaven. 
> 
> Unbeta'd cause I just felt like slapping it up tonight. Terrible day at work and I felt like I could use some fic escape and hopefully some encouraging comments to make things better. LOL!

Yeah, I seen it. Seen it before when I was still kickin’ and seein’ it now that I’m just a ghost. I made it to them pearly gates, but the bastards tol’ me I hadda walk the earth ‘til my heart grew. Like the goddamn Grinch. All them religions and ain’t none of ‘em got it right but Dr. Damn Suess. So’s I keep on wanderin’ and ‘course I’m gonna wanna keep an eye on my baby brother. And ‘parently that means I’m also gonna be keepin’ an eye on Officer Friendly cause where there’s one, there’s the other.

I did have a clue way back then. When Daryl told me Rick’s done alright by him. Seen it in his eyes, this undying gratitude and this commitment. Like Rick was more than kin, more than me. I know. I ain’t pissed ‘bout it. I know I ain’t been the best brother to ‘im. Left ‘im home alone with the ol’ man. And truth be told… I can be a bit of an asshole. It’s true. But my brother, he’s always been the sweet one. 

He and Rick is tight as two pieces of a KitKat bar. Yeah, I seen that shit, too man. I’m everywhere. They ain’t even tryin’ ta hide it no more. Lettin’ everyone see it. Carol, them other queers, the mullet guy. Kinda makes me sick. But… kinda makes me happy in some ways. Ain’t never seen no one treat Daryl like a equal. Like someone to be listened to and trusted and … well and fuckin’ loved. Daryl’s a good man and I know ‘cause I practically raised that damn boy m’self. And fuck them fuckers at the pearly gates if that weren’t enough to move on with this shit.

So another sun rises and I just amble about watchin’. 

“Mornin’ beautiful,” the goofy damn cop says first thing. Soon ‘s light comes in through their bedroom windows. Ain’t even out a’ bed yet. Still layin’ there all twisted up together, hands and arms and legs and shit all connected. How in the hell ya get any sleep that way? 

Daryl laughs at the term of endearment cause he probably ain’t never heard nothin’ so ridiculous in his damn life.

“Beautiful?” he snorts with a laugh.

“What you don’t believe me?” Rick flirts. I try not to puke. Pukin’ ain’t gonna get my invisible ass off this earth and over to wherever the hell it should be. Frankly, I don’t even know what’s on the other side a’ that fuckin’ gate, but I got a pull in me says I gotta get there.

“I’m covered in a week of dirt, man. And a little of Ass Kicker’s spit-up from gettin’ up to feed ‘er last night,” Daryl answered.

Yeah, I saw that too. He’s been all over that baby since day one. Hell, I r’member when he’s just that size and I’d help feed him or quiet ‘im down so his cryin’ don’t piss off the old man. Didn’t seem to get no Pearl Gate points for that shit neither, by the way.

“Thanks for getting her last night,” Rick whispered and then they start kissing and I roll my eyes so hard I’m afraid they might fall right out of my head. I mean, Christ, they been asleep for hours. Ain’t they gotta take a piss at least. Jesus. They’s like a bunch a’ teenagers. I decided to get the fuck out of there ‘fore I get an eyeful.

I went to Judith's room to wait there with her. Movies musta got that ‘babies can sense ghosts’ thing right cause she's already standing up in her crib and smiled and bounced when she seen me. 

“Da da!!” she said excitedly. Ain't cause she thinks I'm her dada. It's cause it's the only thing she knows how ta say.

Daryl finally comes in fer her, his damn hair more of a mess than it was, so I'm guessing I know why he took so long getting here.

“Da da!” Judith squealed again and reached up for him. Daryl grinned.

“Dada? Well, okay, girlie. Sure,” he said to her and I could tell he was feelin’ pride and love at it. Kinda glad I wasn't alive to tell his dumb ass she ain't callin’ him dada. It ain't a word, it's just a damn sound. Only sound she knows and it’s usually followed by drooling and shitting herself. But whatever. He deserves the happiness I see on him when he holds her and she loves on him like that.

I mean I don't get it. I was with her a bit when I was alive and she smells like pee more often than not but to each his own, I guess. Nice thing about _being_ dead is not having to smell anything anymore. Not pissy diapers or the rot and stink of corpses. That's one thing I don't miss. Don't miss the dead. Don't miss the livin’ neither. ‘Cept Daryl of course. Livin’s gotten worse and worse. Thought the governor was bad. I watched the Claimers, Terminus, the wolves and now these Savior's that claim they work for a guy named Negan. From the sound of it, he may be the worst of ‘em all and it kills me not to be with them to help fight when it comes. Cause it _will_ come. It always does.

I followed Daryl downstairs and watched him ruffle Carl’s head as the kid stumbled sleepy across the hall towards the bathroom. Rick was already down there makin’ coffee and puttin’ together some kinda breakfast. Christ, it was like watchin’ some kinda family TV show but with queers ‘stead ‘a regular people.

Okay- that made me sound like an asshole. I know it, but sometimes I just can't stop my tongue, even when there ain't no one there to hear it but me. Guess that's the kinda shit got me laughed away from heaven. 

“Goin’ huntin’ this mornin’?” Rick asked as he took Judy and put her in the high chair.

“Wanna eat t’night?” Daryl sassed. I admit, kinda made me chuckle. Fuckin’ Officer Friendly still thinkin’ you can run down to the Piggly Wiggly for a frozen Salisbury Steak. Goddamnit, I miss frozen Salisbury Steak.

Rick giggled at him cause that's ‘bout all these idiots do anymore is giggle and flirt and get all handsy. Gotta admit though, nice to see Daryl smile. Not sure if my baby brother even knew how ‘fore he met Rick.

“Michonne’s taking care of things in town today and Carl can watch Judy. Lemme come with!” Rick said like a eager damn kid.

Daryl lifted a brow at Rick. “Do ya wanna eat t’night,” he asked again. I laughed out loud. Didn't really know my baby brother had a sense of humor. He was right ‘bout eatin’ though cause that damn cop clomps through the woods so damn loud it's like he thinks the goal is to draw the deer to him from the noise.

“You clomp through the woods so damn loud it's like ya thinks the goal is to draw the deer to ya from the noise,” Daryl said. That had me in a fit a laughter and wishin’ I could high five him. I settled for high-fivin’ Judy since my laughin’ done caught her attention. 

“Word for damn word,” I said to her.

Rick pouted. I swear to God on high, he fucking pouted.

“Your ole’ man is such a pansy,” I told Judy.

“Pans!” Judy shouted as Rick picked one up and scraped some runny eggs onto Daryl's plate. 

“That's right, baby girl! That's a pan!” Daryl said all excited. “See how smart she is, Rick?!”

I rolled my eyes. I swear if it was the size of my nausea threshold growin’ that got me into heaven ‘stead of my heart, I’d be rolling in 77 virgins or some shit right now.

When all was said and done they did go out huntin’ together so instead of watchin’ Judy drool on herself and try to eat her own foot, I went ahead and followed them.

I was at least a little proud that the foolish girly giggle shit went to the wayside soon as they walked out the gates. Least they still knew the kinda world they was livin’ in.

Rick ain't done too bad with his clompin’. Still scared off ‘bout four meals but I seen him scare off more. Stood by watchin’ as the ole’ cop quietly pointed out a buck standin’ off in the woods.

Was a nice moment actually. Bein’ there quiet with my baby brother in the lush green woods. Wished I could smell again. The earthy smell of the ground under our boots. The evergreens. The fresh air. I looked at the deer. Beautiful lookin’ five pointer.

Always felt at peace in the woods. Better than bein’ in the house as a kid gettin’ beat. Better than workin’, takin’ orders from some dickweasle kid at one garage or another. Especially liked bein’ out here with Daryl. Cause as much as I always told him I was all he had… He’s all I really ever had, too.

I was so spacin’ out in thought I didn't see the walker neither, not that I coulda done anything being all see-through and dead and gone. By the time its first groan caught my attention, it was on Daryl, hands on his arm and his elbow in its open jaws. 

“Daryl!” Rick screamed. He closed the space between himself and my brother and literally slotted his body between Daryl and the walker to push it off. They fell and wrestled as Daryl got his shit together and aimed the crossbow to the walker’s skull, silencing it quickly.

“Jesus, Rick,” Daryl gasped as he reached down to help him up. “Whatcha thibkin’ man? Gettin’ that close… Coulda got bit! You got kids.”

“You got kids, too,” Rick answered, huggin’ Daryl tight as soon as he got to his feet. He grabbed and twisted at Daryl's arm checkin’ for a bite.

“‘M fine,” Daryl said, shruggin’ him off. “Are you?”

Rick nodded and looked around them. “Just one. Just a fluke, I guess. Lost the deer though.”

“Fuck the deer. Just don't want to lose _you_ ,” Daryl said.

And they kissed. Like this soft, tender shit. Like the fuckin’ end of some damn chick flick kinda shit. Wasn't nothing queer ‘bout it. Not ‘bout sex or gettin’ a dick sucked or anythin’. It was just… like… Relief? Love? Hell, even felt my own heart thumpin’ at the sight of these two homos kissin’ in the woods.

I started to feel light. Not like ‘go towards the light’ kinda light but like… the opposite of heavy, like I was liftin’ off the ground. Floatin’. That inner pull that I had ‘bout getting through them pearly gates was leadin’ me. I kept feeling more heart and less body as I watched the moment, now below me, between Daryl and Rick. 

“Love you, baby brother,” I said as a sense of peace and happiness enveloped me like a cocoon. “Take care of that family of yours and I'll see you when you get here.” My voice sounded funny like it was through a tunnel and I felt a rare smile spreadin’ ‘cross my face as everything started to fade and an actual light grew brighter ‘round me. And the last thing I see is them still kissin’ sweet below me ‘fore the light overwhelms everythin’. “Don't rush on my account.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this unique angle. I always have fun writing Merle!


End file.
